TESTIMONY OF AMERICAN FURRIERS. 415 



small animals, not exceeding two years of age, and further, that the 

 age of the seal may be told accurately from the size of its skin. 



Third. That the skins bought at Victoria from the poaching vessels 

 are shipped by him largely to the firm of C. M. Lampson & Co., in Lon- 

 don, who are the largest sellers of skins in the world and the agents of 

 deponent's firm. That he has been through the establishment of C. M. 

 Lampson & Co., in London, very frequently. That he has frequently 

 heard stated by the superintendent thereof that the great majority of 

 the skins received by them from what is called the " Northwest catch," 

 that is, the Northwest Coast of Victoria, are the skins of seals caught 

 by vessels in the open Pacific or the Bering Sea, and that a large pro- 

 portion of said skins, amounting to at least 90 per cent, were in his, the 

 said superintendent's, judgment obviously the skins of female seals. 



Fourth. That deponent has frequently requested the captains of the 

 poaching vessels sailing from the port of Victoria and other ports to 

 obtain the skins of male seals, and stated that he would give twice as 

 much money, or even more, for such skins than he would pay for the 

 skins of female seals. Each and all of the captains so approached 

 laughed at the idea of catching male seals in the open sea, and said 

 that it was impossible for them to do it, and that they could not catch 

 male seals unless they could get upon the islands, which, except once 

 in a long while, they were unable to do in consequence of the restric- 

 tions imposed by the United States Government; because they said 

 the males were more active and could outswim any boat which their 

 several vessels had, and that it was only the female seals who were 

 heavy with young which could be caught. Among the captains ot 

 vessels with whom deponent has talked, and who have stated to him 

 that they were unable to catch anything but female seals, are the fol- 

 lowing : 



Captain Cathcart, an American now about 75 years of age, who com- 

 manded the schooner San Diego, and who subsequently commanded 

 other vessels; Capt. Harry Harmson, Capt. George W. Littlejohn, Capt. 

 A. Carlson, Gustav Sundvall, and others, whose names he does not 

 now remember. 



I find in handling the skins taken in Bering Sea that the teats of 

 those from the cow seals are much larger and 

 more developed than from the ones taken in the Isaac Liebes, p. 455. 

 North Pacific before they have given birth to their 



young; and the fur on the belly of the former is thiuer and poorer than 

 on the latter, as the result, I suppose, of'the heat and distention of the 

 udder consequent upon giving milk. 



In my examination of skins ottered for sale by sealing schooners, I 

 found that over 90 per cent were skins taken 

 from females. The sides of the female skin are Sidney Liebes, p. 516. 

 swollen, and are wider on the belly than those of 



the males. The teats are very discernible on the females, and it can be 

 plainly seen where the young have been suckling. The head of the 

 females is also much narrower. 



I have bought and examined the catch of a great many sealing 

 schooners during the last ten years, and have ob- 

 served that 85 to 90 per cent of skins taken were John N. Lofstad, p. 51& 

 from female seals, which I could distinguish by a 



